Recording video in widescreen?

[roberthunter]

How is this done?

I have regular RCA inputs and an s-video input. My cable box is connected to the computer through the RCA inputs. When I record an HD channel, the software preserves the widescreen by recording in 4:3 and adding letterbox bars to the top and bottom. Is there a way around this, or do I need a video card with component input?

I am using Sony gigapocket to capture video.

Thanks

[diggrd]

Not sure what you want to do. Do you have a 16:9 screen to display the captured video? Or is it just that you want the image to fill the screen vertically? If it's the latter then you can do it two ways one will screw up the aspect ratio and squish things horizontally (anamorphic) and the other will drop the edges of the image (pan and scan). The former I am not sure what the options of the gigapocket are.
EDIT: It looks as though 16:9 may not be an option with the Giga Pocket.

[roberthunter]

I have a 16:9 television and I'm looking to be able to record widescreen television programming and have it remain in a natural 16:9 presentation, in other words, fill up the entire television screen the way it did when I was originally watching it.

[p_k]

dunno if your trying to create a dvd. but heres a option

drag the file to Vegas.. and render it in widescreen for dvd arch, in high def,
vegas lets you choose, 480 or 1080.. you'l have to work the audio in

[roberthunter]

What software will record straight to your harddrive in 16:9 format?

[diggrd]

Is this a Sony Vaio PC with a capture card pre-installed?

[roberthunter]

Yes it is. Does that mean my options are limited?

Thanks for the help.

[diggrd]

I'm not exactly sure what hardware Sony uses in these PCs it's possible that some other software could work better than Giga Pocket. Can you identify which capture card you have using Device Manager. It really seems dumb that the system can display 16:9 and the damn software that comes preinstalled won't allow you to record it that way, I'm sure there is a work around somewhere.

[roberthunter]

It has "Legacy Video Capture Devices" and "Sony MPEG RealTime Encoder Board" listed under the Sound, Video and Game Controllers section of device manager.